Mission: Simple
by Racheal Maxwell
Summary: Heero and Duo go on what is supposed to be a simple mission but it all goes wrong because of a secert Duo is keeping from Heero. Death-fic


Warnings: angst, death-fic, slight 1+2 (see Author Notes);  
  
Disclaimer: hn. No own. Wish I did (Since Du-chan is so cute and all) but don't.  Don't sue, don't own anything, its all my parents.  
  
Author Notes: I know, I should be working on Crime and Punishment, but I'm having a bit of writers block so decided to start something new.  Word of caution: DEATH-FIC AHEAD.  Killed me to right this, but needed something to get the creative juices flowing.  Oh, and a word on the 1+2, its only 1+2 if your read it as 1+2, it can easily be taken as a friendship, so even if you dislike shonen-ai and yaoi, its still save to read.  So, enjoy.

Mission: Simple 

The mission was a simple one.  Infiltrate the base and destroy it.  Heero Yuy, the Perfect Solider, was to set the bombs while Duo Maxwell, Shinigami[1], provides cover for him.

The first half of the mission went smoothly, but it was during the escape that things started to go wrong...

*~*~*~*

His feet flew across the ground as he sprinted towards the exit of the base.  The bombs had been set with only a ten-minute delay to reduce the chances of someone finding and disarming them.  This had a downside though.  They would have less time to make their escape but Heero knew this was an acceptable risk.

Heero stopped abruptly when he realized there was no one behind him.  He turned around and scanned the hallway for his braided partner who had been behind him only moments before.

"Duo?" he called out.  There was no answer.  His heart pounded loudly in his chest.  His pulse was racing as adrenaline filled his system.

'Kuso!'[2] he thought to himself.  He knew there wasn't much time left till the bombs went off but he couldn't just leave his friend behind.

It only took a second before he decided what to do.  He ran back in the direction he had come.  He knew Duo had to be close.

After rounding the first corner he spotted his fallen comrade.  Heero dropped down and scoped Duo into his arms.

"Duo! Daijobu desu ka?"[3] he asked, concern slipping into his normally monotone voice.

"Heero…" Duo said weakly as he looked up at Heero.  'No, not know,' Duo thought.  'I can't…I can't get him involved.'

Heero scanned Duo looking for the reason he had fallen.  'Perhaps he was injured and I didn't notice,' he thought to himself.  Seeing nothing he asked "What is it Duo?  What's wrong?"

"It's nothing.  Don't worry about me.  Just get yourself out of here before the bombs go off.  You wouldn't to be able to make it out in time if you helped me…" 'Come on Heero…I don't want to cause your death…Please…leave while you can' Duo silently pleaded.

"I can't leave you, Duo!" Heero interrupted forcefully.  "Either we both make it out or neither of us do."

Duo signed deeply.  "If it will get you to leave, I'll tell you what's wrong."  He paused for a second before continuing.  'I really don't want to tell him, but…' "Heero, I…"

Duo's words were swallowed up by the blast from the bombs.

*~*~*~*

The blast rocked the surrounding area.  The blast caused everything flammable and something's that aren't, to burst into flames.  Birds took to the air and flew as fast as they could away from the burning building.  The heat from the flames and force of the bombs had weakened its structure.  The building collapsed in on itself, causing a dust cloud to rise up into the air.  It was a while before the dust settled on the collapsed building.  Under the remains of the building, something was moving…

*~*~*~*

Heero pushed off the piece of roof that had fallen on him.  He had made it through the blast with only a few scratches.  He brushed the dust off himself and looked around the remains of the base.  Nothing was moving.  Everything in the base had been destroyed.

"Duo!" Heero called out to the rubble.  "Where are you?"

He began to shift through the rubble, searching for his partner, his friend.  Heero knew he had to be close by, he had to be close by, they had been right next to each other when the bomb went off.  Duo had been about to tell him what was wrong.

Heero heard a soft groan coming from behind him.  He whipped around and immediately began to move pieces of roof away, hoping to find Duo.  

He was rewarded for his efforts with the sight of the end of a braid.  The same braid he had insisted on several occasions be cut off.  Right now he was glad the owner had been stubborn about keeping it.

At the thought of the other pilot, Heero went back to work to uncover the rest of him.  Once he had removed the piece that had been covering Duo, he gasped in shock at what he saw.

Duo's once glorious silky hair was bloody and matted.  Strands of his hair had escaped from his trademark braid.

He was lying on his stomach and the back of his shirt was torn and ragged.  His back was red, with only little parts of peach showing.  His right arm was twisted at an unnatural angle underneath of him.  His left ankle was completely smashed by the heavy rock that had landed on it.  Broken bone could be seen easily through the broken skin of the left shoulder, where a chunk of flesh was missing.

What was the worst for Heero, was the face.  The glorious violet eyes were shut, with blood running over them.  The blood came from a large gash above his right eyebrow.  Every so often you would see a flash of skull.

Heero looked at the growing puddle of blood underneath Duo.  He knew he had to get Duo some help soon but he did not want to move him for fear of making something worse.  Instead, he gave Duo a little shove on his good shoulder.

"Duo!  Come on, Duo, wake up!" he shouted desperately.

Duo stirred a little bit.  "He……………er………………heer………………o" he managed to say weakly. "Hurt."

"I know Duo," Heero said sadly.

"pa………ain……est…."

"What was that, Duo?" Heero asked, unable to figure out what Duo was trying to say.

"hest…….pain."

"There's a pain in your chest?" Heero asked uncertainly.  Duo nodded slightly in response.

Heero slowly and cautiously picked up and moved the rock that had been on Duo's ankle.  Then, he carefully, Heero turned Duo onto his back into his arms.  By doing so, he was able to see the major source of the blood and Duo's pain.

A steel beam from the roof of the former building was half-buried in his chest.  From the angle that it was at, Heero guessed that it had gone through a lung.  The rational part of his mind knew that because of this injury his lung would collapse and blood would gather in his lung.  This would affectively choke him to death, that is, if he didn't die of blood loss first.  He also knew that Duo did not have long left, but he refused to accept it.

"Hang on Duo.  I'll get you out of here.  We'll go to the hospital and their fix you up and your be all better.  And everything will go back to normal."  A lone streak of water trailed down his face.  This confused him.  Where had this water come from?  Could it be…his tears?

Duo reached up weakly and brushed the tear from Heero's eye.  "Don't...fool…yourself, Hee...chan.  We…both know…that I…"

Heero quickly hushed him.  "Ssh, save your strength.  You need to conserve your energy."

"Heero…" Duo said.  "You gotta…except…the facts.  Don't hide…behind…illusions…and fantasies.  I'm not…gonna…make it."

"Don't say that Duo!" Heero shouted as more tears fell down his cheeks.  "Please…your gonna make it…you have to make it…"

"Hee-chan…it doesn't…matter.  I woulda…died anyway."

"What do you mean?" Heero asked.  This comment had confused him.  'Didn't matter?  He couldn't be…And I didn't notice?'

"I…have…" Duo started.  He hesitated.  He hadn't wanted Heero to worry.  But what difference does it make now?

"What?!"  Heero prompted.  He wanted Duo to deny his fears.  Let what he was thinking only be his mind taking what Duo said and twisting it into something unhappy.

"Cholem Kenka."[4] Duo finally blurted out.

"Say what?!" Heero asked.

"It's…the plague…from…L2." Duo explained.

"But when?  How?"

"Accord…ing…to Sal…it just…remained...dor…dor…" Duo struggled with the word.

"Dormant" Heero supplied, his voice quivering.  'It…can't be.  Duo, no not innocent little Duo.'

"Yeah…that."  Duo was beginning to feel the effects of the blood loss.  He was feeling light-headed and disorientated.

"Why did it come out now though?"  Heero asked.

"Cause…I was…weak cause…I got that flu…and it just…used the opportunity."  Duo answered.

"Duo…" Heero said.  He pulled Duo closer to him and gently stroked his hair.  "Duo…I…" Heero hesitated.  'How can I admit how I feel to Duo?  I…shouldn't even feel these emotions.  Dr. J was right, emotions only hurt people.'

"What?" Duo asked weakly.  He knew his time was limited, but he really wanted to hear what Heero had to say.

"I…I…can't stand it if you * sniff * if you were to die.  I…can't live without you."  Heero said as he clutched Duo closer to him.  He continued to stroke Duo's hair, not only trying to comfort him, but himself as well.

"Heero…" Duo was shocked.  Emotion from the perfect solider?  It just wasn't possible. He never dreamed that he'd see Heero like this.  'He's just like a frightened little kid' he thought to himself.  'How ironic.  I see this side of Heero right before I'm gonna die.  I guess I might as well tell him'  "I…"  'Then again, maybe I shouldn't.'

"Gomen nasai[5]… sarabada[6]…" Duo said quietly, so quietly that it was little more then a whisper.  'I'm so sorry Heero, but, it's the end for me.  I have no choice.  I have to go.'  He slowly closed his eyes and let the darkness consume him.

"Duo?" Heero asked.  "Duo?!"  Heero shook his body, desperately trying to wake him up.  The body was limp in his arms, the eyes closed, and the chest no longer moving, not even the laboured breathing of before.

"Duo…kudashi[7]…shikkari shite[8]…Duo! Don't die on me!" Heero shouted in a mix of his native tongue and English.

With tears burning in his eyes, he grabbed Duo's wrist and searched frantically for a pulse, for any sign of life.  But, he found none, for there was none, for, his partner, his comrade,…his friend, was gone.  No longer would he laugh.  No longer would he smile.  He was dead.  Death had claimed Death.

"Duo… masaka[9]…" Heero said, beginning to accept the sad truth.  "Doushite?"[10]

'This can't be happening' Heero thought as he cried over the body of his deceased friend. Suddenly, something in him snapped.  'I know what I must do…'

Heero picked up the limp body and walked away from the wreckage.  His tears had stopped.  The only emotion displayed on his face now was determination.  He would kill the one who had done this to Duo.  It was his mission.  Ninmu Ryokai…[11]

**_The End. _**

T_T I can't believe I did that to them.  Well, this is my first completed fic, and I know it may not seem like it but I AM working on Crime and Punishment.  I'm about halfway through chapter 6 now, so it should be up pretty soon (assuming that ff.net is working and all) Here are  all my explanations and the meanings of the Japanese words found through out the fic:

[1] God of Death (duh)

[2] shit

[3] are you okay?

[4] couldn't think of anything, so I made up a name for the plague that went through L2, 

      you know, the one that killed Solo and all.

[5] I'm very sorry

[6] farewell (a permeate way of saying it)

[7] please

[8] hold on. don't give up

[9] impossible, it can't be, no way

[10] why?

[11] (better know this one) Mission accepted

Anyway, please review, It's much appreciated. (It gets me to write faster * hint hint nudge nudge *)


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